Fishing float



May 4, 1954 J. E. NEWTON FISHING FLOAT Filed Oct. s. 1'94? 42% E27 a x FIG.3

IN V EN TOR,

ATTORN EY Patented May 4, L954 2,677,208 7 FISHING FLOAT John E. Newton, Oklahoma City, Okla.; now by judicial change of name John Fishmaster Application October 6, 1947, Serial No. 778,137

5 Claims. 1

My invention relates to fishing floats which are normally used in line fishing, for supporting that portion of the line which carries the weight, hooks, bait, etc., in suspension below the surface of the water.

In line fishing, either in bank pole fishing or casting, it is common practic to provide a comparatively small float, cork, or bobber, adjacent, yet spaced from the free end of the line. Such floats not only act to support the lineweight off th bottom, but also act as a visible means by which the fisherman may recognize the fact that a fish is biting, or has bitten the bait. Most conventional fishing floats are made of light wood, cork, or the like, and are not of a suflicient size, or do not have suflicient buoyancy to ofier much resistance to submergence by the fish. Due to their relatively small size, the person fishing with such conventional floats, must keep the float close enough to him for observation, and the possible distance from the bank is consequently limited.

It is the principal object of the present invention, to provide a fishing float of sufiicient size to be seen for relatively long distances, yet which is suficiently light in weight to permit comparatively great distances to be covered by the float; which could not be obtained by conventional floats when casting by hand. I

This is accomplished, by providing a float consisting of an air inflated, resilient, envelope or bag.

Another object is to provide a float of this class which has sufficient inherent buoyancy to ofler considerable resistance to submergence by a biting fish, such resistance being great enough to fset the fish-hook in the mouth of the fish.

It is obvious, that should a fishing float be made of wood or cork, in sufficient size to be seen at great distances, it would be so heavy that no great casting distance could b obtained. It is also obvious, that since a wood or cork float rides the water with approximately one-half of its body submerged, in order to be observed at a given distance, it would have to be made substantially twice as large as an air inflated float, which rides with approximatel ninety per cent of its body above the surface of the water.

A further object of the present invention, is to provide a float which rides high in the water, and which therefor may be floated out from the bank by the action of a breeze or by the waves or current.

'An additional object is to provide a large fishing float which is light in weight, and which when deflated, is not bulky'to pack in'a tackle box.

2 v A still further object, is to provide a float for the purposes set forth, which may be manufactured at a cost which will not make the consumer price prohibitive.

Other objects willbe apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings,

wherein: Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device operatively supporting the hook bearing .end of a conventional fishingline; j Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a possible mode of installing the line;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, detailing a portion of Fig. 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely through the device as depicted in Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur. 1

In the drawings: The reference numeral I indicates, as a whole, a hollow substantially spherical body, envelope or bag which is constructed of sheet rubber, and which is air-tight; The body I, when inflated only to the extent that it is fllled but not stretched, assumes the form of a modified elli soid. In other words, it is shaped somewhat like an army canteen, having two identical and oppositely disposed side faces which are each concavo-convex, and having an annular edge surface which spacedly connects the edges or rims of the side faces. When more fully inflated, without any restriction having been placed therearound, the body I becomes somewhat more spherical in form. The top of the body I has an inner disc 2 carrying a tubular valve housing 3 which extends through and projects upwardly from the top wall of the body. Surrounding the valve housing 3, and vulcanized or otherwise attached fiatly to the exterior surface of th body I, there is provided a disc 4 which is hermetically sealed around the valve housing 3.

"Lying flatly along the exterior surface of the disc 4,is a pair of short parallel tubes or tubate ears 5 which are preferably made of plastic. A disc-like sheet 6 of sheet rubber surrounds the housing 3, envelops the two tubes 5, and is vulcanized to the upper surface of the disc 4. The upper slightly arcuate surface areas 4 and 6, the lower slightly arcuat surface areas 1 and 9, form surface sections or areas which are slight 1y arcuate, adjacent the surface area of the envelope I. The bottom of the body I has a disc-likesheet 'I of sheet rubber vulcanized to its outer surface, and a short tube or tubate ear 8 is held flatly against the sheet I by an outer disc 9, also of sheet rubber.

As best illustrated in Fig. 4, the upper eye I of a conventional fishing line swivel II surrounds the tube 8, and is anchored to the body I by its engagement with the tube. The swivel .II has a lower eye-or loop 42.

The body I may be inflated by the introduction of air through the valve housing 3, a suitable cut-off valve, not shown, being provided in the housing for retaining the air in the body.

Extending around the body I, and passi through one of the upper tubes and'both-passing through the lower tube 8, are'two endless'belt lines 20. The lines 20 are attached together adjacent the vertical center of the body I by horizontal tie lines 2 I. The Qflices of the belt'lines 20 and the two tie lines 2| are more fully described hereinbelow.

One practical manner of mounting the device on 'a conventional fishing line, isbest illustrated in Figure 4.

The reference numeral I3 indicates the extreme outer or hook bearing portion of;a conventional fishing line, and this lin portion I3 is looped about, and firmly tied to a transverse :pin or stop I4.

.The reference numeral I5 indicates that portion of the fishing line which extends next beyond the stop it. Thisportion I5 is the part of the line which passes freely through the lower-eye I2 of :the swivel II. The portion I5 is passed through both eyes H; of a suitable bead or stop member :II,:and looped about and tied to one of the eyes It so that the stop cannot move along the line.

The referencenumeral I8 indicates that portion of the fishing line which extends from the stop I'I to the fishermans rod, not shown.

With the body I inflated, and thus installed on the fishing line, the device is prepared for launching into the water, in the following manner.

'The line is drawn upwardly through the eye I2 of the swivel I I until the stop I4 contacts the eye The-upper stop I! is tied to the lineata desired distance from the lower stop I4. This distance is-governed by the depth, below the body I, at

which it is desired to ultimately position the fishhook while fishing.

After the stop I'-'! has been suitably anchored on the line, the line portion I5 is passedupwardly, and 'is repeatedly wound transversely about the central portion of the body I (Figs. 2 and 3), until the upper stop I1 is brought into contact with the body I. The stop I1 is then passed under one of the belt lines 20 just below one of the tie lines 2|.

"The beltline 20 under which the stopis passed, impinges the line portions I5 and 18 against the surface of the body I with sufficient frictional en agement to hold the stop II in place under normal conditions. However, the stop may be drawn from beneath the belt line 20 by a .quick jerk upon the line portion 18..

The tie line2l acts to-prevent the stop I"I from traveling upwardly along-the belt line 20,-should such a jerk be exerted. 'The tie line therefore insures removal of the stop I'I beneath the belt line .when a quick jerk is exerted.

In fishing with the device prepared'in the above described manner, as best illustrated in Fig. 2.32. usual cast of the device is made from a bank posi- 4 tion lying either up-wind or "up-stream from the location at which it is desired to ultimately fish in a lake or stream. This fishing location may well be two or three hundred yards from the bank position from which the cast is made. The line portion I8 is played out from a reel until the body drifts to the desired fishing location.

When the .body I has .drifted to the. desired fishing spot, the :unwinding-of the reel 'is stopped. 18. quick jerk is then made on the line by suitable .,manipulation of the fishing pole. The jerk withdraws the upper stop II from beneath the belt "lineti'fl as hereinabove described, and the weight ofthe bait, sinker, etc. carried by the line portion I3 causes the line portion I5 to slip downwardly through the lower eye I2 of the swivel II. :saidpnrtion 45 .being unwound from around the body I, ,as the bait sinks in the water. The upper stop II eventually reaches the eye I2 and stops 4 downward movement of the bait.

Should a fish now strike the bait on the fishhook, the buoyancy of the body I offers sufilcient resistance to the pull of the fish to set" the fishhook in its mouth.

t is pointed out that even though the -body I may-be located so remotely from the fisherman that he cannot observe each and every one-of its movements, he can observe whether or not the body -has been submerged by looking for light reflection tromits surface. If the body surface is dry, no light will be reflected. If light is reflected, then the fisherman knows that he has hada bite-ofsufiicient-power to submerge the float for at least'an instant. It is therefore preferred that the float be made of black rubber 'for the better reflecting of "thesurface while wet.

When a fish has been caught, and the line is being reeled in, the :body'I oiferssufiicientresistanoe to its movement through the water to'cause the eye I2 to -move back along the line portion I5 until it comes in contact with the lower stop I4. This movement gradually raises the hooked fish in the water until it is "traveling through'the water atonly a slight-distance beneath its surface.

' Gonsequently, the fish isbrought to the'bank suspended -in the water, instead of traveling along the lake or stream'bed. The result is that the fish cannot-entangle the line in jagged rocks or snags adjacent such bed.

When not in use, the body -I may 'be deflated and-rolled or folded into a small compact package which will easily flt within a usual fishing tackle box.

The float is made of sufficient size to offer enough resistance to set the hook in a fishs mouth.

Obviously :the :invention is susceptible 'to some change or alteration 'without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the :preferred embodiment shown in the drawings-and described herein, further than I am li-mitedgby the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

"31'. In a float for a fishing line, a comparatively large hollow resilient envelope adapted tube inflated with air, said envelope when inflated having suflicient inherent buoyancy to prevent its being continuously submerged by a fish; ,a checkvalve for retaining air insaid envelope; two parallel spaced ,tubateears attached rigidly to the BX- teriorof ,thetop .wallof said envelope in .aslightly arcuate relation thereto a single similar .ear, similarly .arcuate, attached similarly to the exterior of the bottom wall .of said envelope; a-pair of belt lines ..contiguously surrounding the envelope vertically, said lines individually passing through a respective top ear, and both passing through the bottom ear; a swivel fitting having an upper eye pivotally carried by said bottom ear; a fishing line slidable through the lower eye of said fitting; and spaced stops on the fishing line to limit its sliding movement through the last mentioned eye.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, and means for limiting separating movement of said belt lines, intermediate the upper and lower ear 3. In a float for a fishing line, a comparatively large hollow resilient envelope adapted to be inflated with air, said envelope when inflated having suflicient inherent buoyancy to prevent its being continuously submerged by a fish; a checkvalve for retaining air in the envelope; two parallel spaced tubate ears attached rigidly to the exterior of the top wall of said envelope in a slightly arcuate relation thereto; a reinforcing tube of rigid material anchored in each ear; a single similar ear attached to the exterior of the bottom wall of said envelope; a reinforcing tube of rigid material anchored in the last mentioned ear; a pair of belt lines contiguously and slidably surrounding the envelope vertically, said lines individually passing through a respective one of the upper reinforcing tubes, and said lines passing through the bottom reinforcing tube; a swivel fitting having an upper eye pivotally carried by said lower ear; a fishing line slidable through the lower eye of said fitting; and spaced stops on the fishing line for limiting its sliding movement through the last mentioned eye.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3, and means for limiting separating movement of said belt lines, intermediate the upper and lower ears.

5. In a fishing float: a hollow air inflated envelope of flexible material, having an air retaining valve and sufficient inherent buoyancy when inflated for preventing its being continuously submerged by'a fish; a swivel attached to the bottom surface of said envelope, having an eye at each end thereof; a fishing line slidable through the lower eye thereof, said swivel being the sole means for connecting the fishing line to the said envelope after the said envelope has been set in fishing condition; spaced stops on the fishing line for limiting the sliding movement thereof through said lower swivel eye; and an endless belt line contiguously and slidably surround'mg the envelope vertically, said belt line slidably attached to the said envelope, only at the top and bottom and through the upper eye of said swivel, for temporarily holding a portion of said fishing line while it is wrapped around the periphery of the said envelope pending its release by a quick jerk on the line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 427,730 Bond May 13, 1890 849,367 Burke Apr. 9, 1907 1,193,684 Gregory Aug. 8, 1916 1,253,583 Filiewicz Jan. 15, 1918 1,469,885 Britzwein Oct. 9, 1923 1,633,484 Guidotti June 21, 1927 1,850,748 Foster Mar. 22, 1932 1,950,933 Snell Mar. 13, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,233 Great Britain 1903 248,419 Great Britain Mar. 3, 1926 474,993 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1937 855,584 France Feb, 19, 1940 

